Who Needs a Hug?

The HARP program that was designed to help homeowners refinance when their homes have lost most or all of their equity is a real big mess. Some of the big banks (Wells Fargo, for example) had announced that they would join this program on March 15th. The day before, they pulled out. Now it looks like the new date is April 23rd. So…I know a lot of you are anxious to refinance, and my advice would be to hang in there and keep checking in. My guess is we’ll be able to help you in April, May…

Interest Rate Update: Look what happens when I go on a Florida spring break – rates jumped up to their highest levels in 18 months and I returned with one of the worst tans ever. The 30-yr fixed went up to almost 4.375% but has since come down. Rates today are at 4% (give or take) for a 30-yr fixed, and ARM rates are about a point lower. Do you know any friends, family, coworkers, or pets that are looking to buy or refinance a home? Let them know that for any loan over $240k I will waive all lender fees – a $995 savings.

Hugging Quote of the Day 2: “If my father had hugged me even once, I’d be an accountant right now.” – Ray Romano

Timeout for Trivia: Congrats to those of you who guessed Billy Crystal as the March 14 answer. Want to be entered into a drawing to win vacuum cleaner bags? Simply email me the answer to this week’s “Who Am I?” question. Good luck: “I turned 50 last month, so I think that makes me eligible to take the day off if I want. Yeah, maybe I’ll sleep in and then go to Burger King for lunch and order a Whopper. (That’s a burger, not a giant self-aware computer capable of starting a war). Then I’ll come home to my wife, who I thankfully never lost in a Las Vegas card game.”